Method of and apparatus for coating strand material



Nbv. 5, 1929. F. MARTINDELL.

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR COATING STRAND MATERIAL Filed Aug. 14, 1928 Patented Nov. 5, 1929 F AT FRANK KABTINDELL, OF RIVERSIDE, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO WESTERN ELECTRIC COMPANY, INCORPORATED, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK I METHOD 0! AND APPARATUS FOR COATING STRAND MATERIAL Application filed August 14,v 1928. Serial No. 299,462.

This invention relates to .a method of and apparatus for coating strand material, and more particularly to a method of and apparatus for coating wire.

In the past, wire has been coated with tin in many instances by passing the wire through a bath of the coating material and then drawing the coated wire through a die to remove the excess of the coating material.

Objects to this invention are to provide an economical and eflicient method of and apparatus for coating strand material.

In accordance with the general features of the invention, one embodiment thereof consists of a member for whirling or revolving an advancing portion of a wire that has received a molten tin coating. The whirling of this tin coated portion centrifugally removes an amount of the tin, depending upon the rate of the whirling and the speed of advancement. A guard is preferably placed over the whirling portion to confine the movement of the removed coating material.

It is believed that a clear understanding of the invention may be had from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein Fig. 1 is a longitudinal view of a tinning machine embodying features of the invention for removing excess molten tin from a wire and which may be employed for practicing the improved method;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged, fragmentary vertical sectional view of the excess tin removing apparatus shown in Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 is a cross section of the same apparatus taken on line 3 -3 of Fig. 2. I

Referrin now to the drawings in detail wherein 1i e reference numerals indicate similar parts, the numeral 10 indicates the framework of any ordinary and suitable tinning machine for tinning a wire 11 extending from a supply spool 12 'to a suitably driven take up spool 13 by way of guide pulleys 16, 17, 18, and 19. A resiliently adjustable tension arm 14 and a brake 15 co-operating with the supply spool 12 maintain a suitable tension in the wire. A hook 20 directs the wire through a molten bath of tin 21 maintained within a suitably heated container 22. From the bath the wire passes through a device designated generally as 23 for producing a uniform tin coating, then through a water bath 24, and 'finall on to the take up spool 13.

The device 23' or producing the uniform coating includes a guide 27 for receiving the wire immediately after it is drawn from the molten tin bath 21. From the guide 27, the tin coated wire 11 passes over an eccentric, rotatable member or finger 28 provided with a groove 29 for receiving the wire, the member 28 being located at some distance from the guide 27. A cylindrical member 30 secures the member or finger 28 and rotates within a support 31 secured to a portion of the frame 10 of the tinning machine. A pulley 32 secured to the cylindrical member 30 and driven by Suitable means such as a belt (not shown serves to rotate the cylindrical member an the finger 28. A guide 33 is provided within the cy inder 30 for receiving the wire 11 after passing over the eccentric finger 28, and from the guide 33 the wire passes to the water bath 24. A guard 34 suitably secured to the support 31 and the framework 10 of the machine is mounted over the portion of the wire 11 extending from the guide 27 to the guide 33. A door 35 provided with hinges 36 permits access to the described parts.

The operation of the apparatus involves the principle of centrifugally removin an amount of the molten tin coating by whir ling or revolving thefreshl tinned portion of the wire. The rotating nger 28 revolves the ever changing portion of the wire extending between the guides 27 and 33 in the form of a loop, and obviously by regulating the speed at which the finger 28 is rotated the amount of tin thrown off the wire and thereby the thickness of the tin coating may be controlled.

The groove 29 for receiving the wire in the rotating finger is slightly eccentric to the line .of travel of the wire in order to effect the aforementioned revolvingof the loop between the guides 27 and 33, and a constant tension is maintained in this loop by the adjustable tension arm 14 and brake 15 00- operating with the supply spool 12 or by other suitable means. Obviously by whirlt is, of course, to be understood that the I invention is not to be limited to the specific embodiment described fort-in coating wire, but is susceptible to other applications included within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A method of coating strand material,

consisting in advancing the material through v a coating substance, and revolving the material after it has advanced through the substance to remove an amount of the coating substance.

2. A method of coating strand material, consisting in longitudinally drawing the material through a bath of a coating substance, and revolving the material in a direction transverse to the direction in which it is drawn and after the material has emerged from the coating bath to remove an amount of the coating substance.

3. A method of producing a uniform coating on strand material, consisting in immersing the material in a bath of a coating substance, and then revolving an everchanging portion of the material to remove excessive coating substance and produce an evenly distributed covering.

4. In an apparatus for coating strand material, a container with a coating substance, means for drawing the material through the coating substance, and means for revolving the material after it has been drawn through the coating substance to remove an excess thereof to produce a uniform covering.

5. In an apparatus for coating strand ma-- terial, a container having a bath of a coating substance through which the material is drawn, guides for directing the material out of the bath and for determining the course of the material, means for maintaining a tension in the material, and means for revolving the portion of the material between the guides to centrifugally remove excessive coating substance retained by the material.

6 In an apparatus for tinning wire, a container of molten tin through which the wire is drawn, guides for directing the wire out of the molten tin, and a rotating member for revolving the portion of the wire between the guides to centrifugally remove excessive molten tin retained by the wire.

7. In an apparatus for coating strand material, a container with a coating substance,

means for drawing the material through the coating substance, a rotatable means through which the material is drawn after it has passed through the coating substance to revolve the material to remove excess coating substance and a guard over the revolving material to confine the movement of the re moved coating substance. 

